The highlight of the day and the whole trip occurred near the middle of the auto tour route. I was photographing a pair of semipalmated plover when I caught the down-winding whinny of a sora. I made up my mind then--I was going to get a picture of a sora.
The sora has been my menace for a few years, always making itself known except to the lens of my camera. I walked quietly on the side of the road, eyes trained on the reeds from where the sora's call had emerged. I strolled maybe fifty feet and saw a small, chunky shadow with a yellow candy corn bill. I quickly put my eye to the viewfinder . . . held my breath . . . and finally . . .
Finally. Despite the picture's quality, I was ecstatic.
As the sun claimed the sky, I continued through the refuge, walking a few short trails around which turkey vultures soared and thrushes scurried. Then it was time for the long, boring drive home.
The next day I concluded the weekend's birdwatching with a relaxing walk through the park. Sparrows and yellow warblers were aplenty, and the green herons were busy at the edges of the river and ponds.
This heron sized me up and allowed me to watch it snatch small fish from the park pond.
